Study: Americans Adults More Unhappy, Lonely Than They've Been in 50 Years
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Happiness has taken a hit because of the coronavirus pandemic. A new poll says American adults are more unhappy and lonely than they've been in half a century.
The poll was taken before the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that followed. Experts say escalating racial tension will only add to the unhappiness many Americans are feeling.
It's been a rough year for the American psyche. The pandemic not only made millions sick, but it's also been deadly and has kept most Americans home, away from friends and colleagues.
So it's no surprise that people are more unhappy today than they've been in nearly 50 years.
"In February, people's jobs, finances and everything were doing really well, and then all of a sudden, we just backslid," Dr. Erika A Frieze, psychologist, said.
Frieze says feeling out of control can cause anxiety and depression.
The new survey comes from the National Opinion Research Center. It covered more than 2,000 American adults and was done in late May, before the civil unrest caused by Floyd's death.
Only 14% of American adults say they're very happy, down from 31% in 2018; 50% say they felt lonely -- that's twice as many as the 23% who reported loneliness two years ago.
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"We just don't know what to expect anymore and you kind of get jaded," Frieze said.
Experts say it's important to focus on things you can control.
"Depression is really overwhelming, and sometimes even thinking of one thing to do to make yourself feel positive and happy is challenging, so that's the first step, is think of that one thing that can get you pointed in the right direction," Frieze said.
It's also important to stay connected, whether in person at a safe distance or virtually -- and to find things that make you happy.
"If you continue that, it'll build and you'll get more positive rewards from that," Frieze said.
The new survey also found a significant increase in people wanting to drown their misery by drinking. Alcohol consumption is up dramatically.
